Walter b



(No Model.)

W. B. HIGGINS.

ROLLER SKATE.

No. 306,397. Patented Oct. 14, 1884.

INVENTUR 776w? WITNESSES j If WA TE B. Brooms, or SAN FRANcIs-oo, oaninonnmf elortea skare. I p Q I erncrrrcarroivrormin part of Letters Patent noieoaee'i, dated October it. rest; I

Application filed June 11, 1884. (X model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, WALTER B. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates and I hereby declare the following to be a suffi ciently full, clear, and exact description thereof to enable one skilled in the art to which my invention relates to make and use the same,

, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rollerskates, and more particularly to that class of roller-skates for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me on the 10th day of July, 1883, and numbered 280, 821; and the object of my invention is to provide an improved form of construction for the hanger and foot-board plate, whereby the cost of manufacture is considerably reduced and the efficiency and durability of the skate are increased. These obj ects'I accomplish by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the heel-roller of a skate having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the foot-board plate viewed from beneath. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top or bearing portion of the hanger viewed from above.

Similar letters of reference are used to indicate like partsthroughout the several views.

A indicates the stock or foot-board, the front or too portion being broken away, and this foot-board is provided with the customary straps and buckles for securing it in a proper manner upon the foot of the wearer.

B represents the sole-plate provided at one end with a stud, O, to be hereinafter more particularly described, and at the opposite end with a downwardly extended post or standard, D, provided near its end with a hole, E.

The hanger or roller carrying frame F is made in the form shown in elevation in Fig. 1, having an axle, G, upon which the wheels or roller are secured, and provided at its lower forward end with a rounded knob or pintle, H, which fits into the hole E in the standard D. It should here be remarked that the hole E is made somewhat cup-shaped, or of a smaller diameter at its forward than at its rear or entrance end, in order that the contracted portion may receive the thrust of the pintle or knob H. The stud O, which projects downwardly from the foot-plate, is made circular in plan, and is situated midway between. two downwardlyprojecting pins or lugs, I I, cast upon the said foot or sole plate. These lugs or studs are made somewhat longer than the vertical depth of the stud O, and are situated at some distance therefrom and upon. the right and left hand thereof, as shown in perspective in Fig. 3 and in side elevation in Fig. 1. The sole-plate is also provided with an upwardly-extended lip or clip, J, at its rear end, which overlaps the rear end of the footboard A and heel-plate K, and acts as a stay or brace, and thereby greatly increases the durability of the skate, as most of the strain or pressure brought to bear upon the skate, especially in the operation of stopping, comes upon this part, and with the old construction the heel-plate is apt to be bent backward and becomes loosened. The upper end of the hanger is provided with a disk or plate, L, situated in a horizontal plane, and provided with a central aperture or screw-hole, M, and two upwardly-projecting studs, N N, situated at opposite sides, or at the front and rear of the said disk, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The meeting-faces of the stud O and the disk L are made plane and are not countersunk, as shown in my previous patent, and they are held together by a screw, 0, provided with a thick rubber washer, P. The screw passes through the disk L and enters and engages with the sole or base plate B, as shown in section in Fig. 2. When the parts are in position and the screw 0 is tightened up, it will be seen that the downwardlyextendingstuds or pins I I embrace or overlap the edge of the disk L, while the upwardly-extending lugs or pins N N overlap the 7 central or bearing stud, O, of the sole or base plate, and that the upper and lower lugs or pins are at right angles to each other, and that the two sets of lugs or pins, by so overlapping the faces of the adjoining base-plate and hanger-disk, serve to retain the two parts in their true vertical position, assisted in a I measure by the screw 0, and also that the rotation-of the hanger is limited by the lower lugs or pins coming in contact with the upper ones, yet permitting of about one-quarter of a revolution being made when turning curves during the operation of skating. v

-Having thus described inyinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a roller-skate, the plate B, having a central bearing-stud, G, and side studs or pins, I I, in combination with the roller-carrying hanger F, having a horizontal plate or disk,

L, and studs or pins 1N N, thewhole being connected and arranged to operate substan- I 5 tially in the manner and for the purpose set forth and specified.

2. In a roller-skate, the plate B, having an upwardlyextending heel clip or brace, J, substantially as andfor the purpose specified. 20

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereuntoset my hand and seal.

WALTER B. HIGGINS. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

WILMER BRADFORD, OHAs. E. KELLY. 

